CrowdRiff Partner Content

With the Covid-19 tourism crisis upending traditional marketing strategies, destinations are placing local residents and businesses at the heart of their recovery plans. Instead of reaching out to visitors traveling from other regions, destination marketing organizations are finding creative ways to encourage locals to explore their own communities.

Yes, websites still serve as a critical bridge between travel and tourism brands and their targeted customers. Because of the increasingly crowded landscape, it’s essential to engage with them within the first few seconds of a visit or risk losing them to competitors.

Visual content is a must-have for any marketing strategy. But it’s especially important in travel and tourism, where inspiration, awe, and storytelling play a major role.

There’s a ton of useful imagery and videos out there created by travelers that brands can use in their own marketing strategies. But incorporating user generated content needs to be done correctly to be successful.

The traveler journey can often be a fragmented one as travelers turn to a variety of sources to plan their trips. By making a few changes, travel and tourism marketers can ensure that their website is one of the most relevant sources out there.

A Facebook advertising campaign can help destination marketers effectively reach potential travelers, if done right. CrowdRiff looks at examples from 50 U.S. states to see what works and what doesn’t.

When it comes to creating a visitor guide that stands out, there are a number of do's and don’ts destination marketers should keep in mind.

Video is one of the most powerful influencers in the visual decision making process, allowing audiences to experience destinations in a unique, personal way.

Creating a destination guidebook doesn’t have to be complicated, or even that expensive. Download this free step-by-step guide to learn more.

They say “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and we’re not saying destination marketers should imitate these campaigns — but it’s certainly worth having a look.